Following the European elections, the far-right landscape in the EU Parliament is undergoing a significant shift. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and France's right-wing populist Marine Le Pen have formed a new faction, 'Patriots for Europe', which is expected to become the third-largest force in the newly elected Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has announced the formation of their own faction. These far-right parties are gaining money, speaking time, and important positions within the EU institutions.
The 'Patriots for Europe' faction, led by Orban and with the National Rally as the largest group, has attracted other parties from Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands, with a total of 84 MEPs.
They advocate for stricter measures against asylum seekers and seek to reduce the power of EU institutions. On the other hand, the AfD's 'Europe of Sovereign Nations' faction includes smaller parties from Poland, France, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Hungary.
These developments have implications for the balance of power in the EU Parliament, although the centrist parties are still expected to have the majority. The formation of these far-right factions also poses challenges for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who may need their support for certain initiatives, but risks losing votes from the center-left parties in return.
